Building Conversations

From sit-stand desks to changing the way the world thinks about coworking—join us for a pre-pandemic discussion between Joseph Cribbin, president of Structure Tone Southwest, and Jeff Lamb, president and COO of Vari, a Texas-based company that’s redefining the workplace, one space at a time. Since the interview, the way we interact with the built environment has changed drastically, making Vari’s commitment to offering space as a service as relevant as ever.

Diversity is a fact; inclusion is a choice. Join LF Driscoll’s EOP and controls manager, Saege Steele, as she discusses what’s worked—and what hasn’t—when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the construction industry with two executives who are leading the charge: Blane Stoddart, president and CEO of BFW Group, and Mike Delaney, executive vice president at LF Driscoll.

Determined to drive innovative change from within the industry, Thornton Tomasetti, STO Building Group, Syska Hennessy, and SHoP Architechs formed the AEC Angels to assess, test, fund, and accelerate promising AEC technologies. Join Rob Leon, executive VP of STO Global, as he speaks with two founding members of the AEC Angels—Executive Chairman of Thornton Tomasetti, Tom Scarangello, and Executive Chairman of STO Building Group, Jim Donaghy—about what the group is testing now, and what parts of the AEC process they’re looking to disrupt next. This is PART 2 of our two-part interview with Tom and Jim.

In an industry that’s been historically slow to adopt the latest technologies, the architecture, engineering, and construction fields present incredible opportunities for tech investors and developers alike. Determined to drive innovative change from within the industry, Thornton Tomasetti, STO Building Group, Syska Hennessy, and SHoP Architechs formed the AEC Angels to assess, test, fund, and accelerate promising AEC technologies. Join Rob Leon, executive VP of STO Global, as he discusses the origin and purpose of the AEC Angels group with two founding members—Executive Chairman of Thornton Tomasetti, Tom Scarangello, and Executive Chairman of STO Building Group, Jim Donaghy. This is PART 1 of our two-part interview with Tom and Jim.

With all eyes on the industry developing and manufacturing the vaccine, five markets across the US Northeast—Boston-Cambridge, Washington D.C., New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York City—were named in the top ten US life science clusters by CBRE. Join Kaitlyn Blazer, business development manager at Structure Tone Philadelphia, as she discusses the life sciences construction boom with experts in the region: Pat Toner, STO VP and national life sciences sector leader, Stephen Neeson, SVP of operations and life sciences sector leader for Structure Tone New Jersey, and Nick Cassaro, senior life sciences project manager for Structure Tone Boston.

From the embodied carbon associated with construction materials to the operational carbon produced throughout a building’s lifecycle, the design and construction industry has the opportunity to make a big impact when it comes to carbon. Join STO Building Group’s director of sustainability, Jennifer Taranto, as she interviews two subject matter experts: David Briefel, sustainability director and design resilience leader at Gensler, and Jeff Morrow, president of J. Morrow Solutions, as they discuss the ingredients of net zero carbon buildings and how mass timber construction can fit into the equation. 

What can the physical workplace offer the next generation of workers? Join Executive Vice President of STO Global Services, Rob Leon, in PART 2 of STO’s two-part interview with Hana’s Director of Brand & Communications, Lindsay Wester, and VP Global Head of Product & Experience Design, Andrew Kao, as they discuss the Hana Innovation Partners program and how COVID-19 could transform the way future workers think about the office.

Creating spaces where people with purpose can accomplish great things—that’s Hana’s mission. But what does a flexible workplace look like in the post-pandemic world? Executive Vice President of STO Global Services, Rob Leon, spoke with Hana’s own Director of Brand & Communications, Lindsay Wester, and VP Global Head of Product & Experience Design, Andrew Kao, about how the flexible space provider is preparing their spaces for what’s coming in the short-, medium-, and long-term. This is PART 1 of our two-part interview in Lindsay and Andrew.

As COVID-19 shifted what a “workplace” should look like, organizations across the globe have mobilized to pull together new protocols and practices for their workspaces as they consider when and how to bring back staff. In April, the Govan Brown team began discussing this very challenge with clients, many of whom really weren’t sure how to approach their return. Join Govan Brown’s SVP of corporate development, Trevor Howie, as he interviews VP of human resources and CSR, Sarah Paul, and special projects manager, Jordan Winter, about how they turned Govan Brown’s own COVID-19 playbook into a guide to help their clients and nonprofit partners return to the workplace.

In construction, the best education is the one you get on the job. But in a world where remote learning is the only option, how is the AEC industry—particularly the hands-on field of construction—teaching, mentoring, and hiring students and new graduates? That’s what Debra Rubin, ENR’s Editor-at-Large for management, business, and the workforce, was hoping to find out when she reached out to Greg Dunkle, CAO of STO Building Group, back in September. Now as the college semester is coming to a close, Greg and Debra reconnected to discuss her findings.